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This One Pan Cacio e Pepe Risotto Orzo may be one of my favorite things I’ve ever made! This is not traditional Cacio e Pepe or traditional risotto.

In February 2022, I created an Orzo Recipe Series on TikTok where I created 8 new orzo recipes during the month of February. It was definitely a fan favorite! In honor of the 1 year anniversary of this series, I am creating a February Orzo Series Part 2!

Recipe Details

Traditionally, Cacio e Pepe is a simple pasta dish with just black pepper and Pecorino Romano. I prefer parmesan cheese so I used that instead, but feel free to use whichever cheese you prefer or a combination of both. I also added some shallots and garlic to amp up the flavor. White wine and chicken broth give this dish the typical flavors and creamy consistency of risotto. Finally, I folded in some mascarpone cheese right at the end to make this orzo dish EXTRA creamy and crave-worthy! Risotto is traditionally made with rice rather than pasta. I used orzo which is rice-shaped pasta in this version.

This One Pan Cacio e Pepe Risotto Orzo is the fourth recipe in my new series. I can’t emphasize enough how much I enjoyed this dish. I hope you love it too!

Graza Olive Oil Giveaway

As part of my Orzo Series, I partnered with Graza to do a giveaway on Instagram. Make sure to check out that post and enter the giveaway to win free Graza olive oil! It’s absolutely delicious. You can also use my code “CAROLBEECOOKS” to save $5 on the “Drizzle” and “Sizzle” variety pack. The “Drizzle” was AMAZING on this dish!

Did you try this One Pan Cacio e Pepe Risotto Orzo? Leave a review!

If you give this One Pan Cacio e Pepe Risotto Orzo recipe a try, feel free to rate/leave a review! You can also tag me on Instagram or TikTok!

Make sure to check out my other recipes from my February Orzo Series Part 2:

One Pan Cajun Chicken Alfredo Orzo
You will love this creamy and extremely flavorful chicken alfredo! Everything cooks in one pan and has a huge kick of flavor from the homemade Cajun seasoning blend.
Check out this recipe
One Pan Miso Butter Shrimp Scampi Orzo
This one pan orzo twist on classic Shrimp Scampi is a fusion of Italian and Japanese flavors! It's salty, lemony, buttery, and so delicious.
Check out this recipe
Butter Chicken Orzo
This recipe is a delicious and hearty bowl of butter chicken in orzo form!
Check out this recipe

One Pan Cacio e Pepe Risotto Orzo

Risotto is made using rice, but this version uses orzo which is rice-shaped pasta to create the most crave-worthy bowl of cacio e pepe goodness!
4.80 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 3

Equipment

Ingredients
  

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Instructions
 

  • In a large pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced shallot and minced garlic. Cook for for 2 minutes, stirring often.
  • Add a generous amount of coarsely ground black pepper. Stir to combine and let the pepper toast for 30 seconds. Add the uncooked orzo, stir to combine, and toast for another minute.
  • Pour in the white wine. Stir to combine and cook for about 2 minutes until the wine is absorbed.
  • Pour in good-quality chicken stock about a 1/2 cup at a time. Stir often so the orzo doesn't stick. Once most of the stock is absorbed, add another 1/2 cup of chicken stock. Continue this process until the orzo is cooked through. I added a pinch of kosher salt because I used very low sodium stock. This took me about 15 minutes. The orzo should look creamy and still have some liquid left when finished.
  • Turn the heat to low. Add a few more cracks of black pepper then add the finely grated parmesan cheese and mascarpone cheese. Stir until well combined and all of the cheese is melted. Taste and add another pinch of salt as desired.
  • Serve immediately with additional black pepper, parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of finishing olive oil.

Notes

This isn’t a traditional cacio e pepe recipe. Cacio e pepe is traditionally made with pecorino romano, but I prefer parmesan. Feel free to use pecorino romano instead or a combination of parmesan and pecorino romano. 
Keyword One Pot, Orzo
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